The year of the Linux

So, 2008 is the Year of the Rat, of course, those of you with Rats already knew that, wink wink nudge nudge..

However, in my humble opinion, it is also the year of the Linux. Why?, for a variety of reasons. Every year, Linux advocates say "this is our year", but it never comes to pass. Linux always seems to get stuck in the mud. Either a decent distro comes out, and gathers more "eyeballs" (Like my Internet-speak?), or a movement by a recognizable organization adds to the creditibilty of the platform. Then, for some reason, it dies off just that quick.

Well, thanks to Ubuntu, this seems to be a year for traction. Ubuntu, if you've been living on mars, is the distro for the masses. I personally don't like it, I like Mandriva, but that's me - you're mileage may vary. I also prefer KDE over Gnome, again, that's me.

There have been some vary significant developments lately though, concerning the police organizations no less. A year ago, the German Tax Authority switch 12,000 desktops over to Linux, and have been very satisfied. Now, the Berlin Police union want's a change too. The French "paramilitary" police confirmed they are replacing 13,000 to 15,000 desktops with Ubuntu over the next 3 to 5 years, as well as instituting every new box be Ubuntu.

Dell sells an Ubuntu box in both Desktop and Laptop forms. Acer is testing the Linux grounds with their own Ubuntu boxes. Wal-Mart introduced a line of PC's with Linux, and SOLD OUT in two weeks. They are "no longer available", not because they didn't sell, because they cannot keep up with demand!

There are several MAJOR companies in the US contemplating the very same thing. Considering the licensing dollars for the Windows world, it's a wonder it's taken this long. With Ubuntu being such a simple distribution to set up and use, the LAMP server being a no-brainer, the MASSIVE amount of 3rd party help available, and the number of drivers available to "make things go", it's becoming a simpler and simpler decision.

Organizations that are stuck are places that use proprietary applications (like us). If your bread and butter software isn't written for the Open Source platform, you're out of luck. Sure, we could replace all of the "other stuff", but the software that pays the bills is Windows Only. The developer is in no hurry to open source it either.

I really feel that there has been an incremental and exponential movement towards the Linux platform. Plain and simple; for 80% of the computing population today, the interface ISN'T windows any more. Windows is the thing that gets in your way as you go to the web. The "interface" is Explorer, or Firefox. You "use" internet applications, as well as the standard office stuff. People have realized the a window is a window, a click is a click, and that you don't need Microsoft any more, albeit sloooowly.

When you think about it, most people outside of work, jump right to their favorite set of websites. They do not pass go, they just wait (for minutes and minutes and minutes) for Windows to boot, and jump right to Explorer or, preferably Firefox. They don't "use" windows in a traditional sense. If this is the case, then why even "f" with a browser at all?

If you want to try something neat, check out Mozilla Labs test project "Prism". When I sit down to the computer, 90% of the time it's either here, Distrowatch, the Weather, eBay, Facebook and a couple other sites. I open Firefox and go to my Favorites, click, log in, blah blah blah...

What Prism does is encapsulates the website into a stand alone brower-app. In other words, I have shortcuts for the Weather, or Facebook, and with one click, I'm, on and logged in. I do what I want, then close the "app".

Look at your kids, or kids that you know - "they are the world"...

What do they do?, I know mine live in MySpace and Facebook 90% of the time - with iTunes running in the background. Who cares what platform they used to get there?, I KNOW they don't. To them, Windows, OS X, and Linux are all the same thing. I've asked them. My son - the one who wants to grow up to be a developer - Can't even get his arms around the concept of an "operating system".. Nor does he care to .. LOL

Mark my words; The impending Recession causing us to squeeeze our pocketbooks even more, the increasing transparency of the "OS", Big Box companies supporting Linux and America's largest retailer jumping on board, THIS train is gaining serious steam..... It WILL be the year of the linux!

NOTE TO WAL-MART:

Get your shit together, build some snazzy, inexpensive Linux boxes NOW, and get them on the shelves BEFORE the government rebate gets here!!!!!! You WON'T regret it! - Tell em' Tommy said so.

Next time ....

The SINGLE word standing in the way of Mass Linux adoption (and it has nothing to do with Microsoft). Stay tuned!